Diary of Arthur William Hence, May - September 1942 - Part 2

unless some very much improved

conditions could be founded. The

total area of the P.O.W. area is approx

2 acres.

At 2030 hrs representatives were

asked for from each force (British & Aust)

comprising Comd, adjt. & medical etc.
Attended a conference with Comd. Nipponese
Garrison. Lt. Col. Ramsay Capt Harris &
Maj. Chalmers represented the Aust. force
& Capt Apthorp, Lt Cummins & Lt Col
Coates represented the British force.
The gathering was given tiffin at 
the Comd house & afterwards a round-table 
conference was held at which the
principle officers - Jap & Aust were
introduced.
A set of rules was issued to each
member - were read through - discussion.
Lt/Col Ramsay was appointed to
command the combined force, and the
force ordered to submit a plan for
reorganisation into a comd group HQ 
medical section, & 3 Bns of 8 coys of
2 pln.

25 May 42 (Mon)

A round table conference was held

by Coy. comdr & British force Comdr.

proposed reorganisation plan was

submitted by the Adjt. Details were

discussed & the general plan adopted 

for submission to Nipponese Authorities.

General settling in & it was only by

day that the crowded & [[?]]

conditions became apparent. Sick

Parade numbered 150 and dysentery

already in evidence.

26 May 42 (Tue)

Nipponese medical officer brought 5

boxes of medical supplies. Shown

existing conditions for sick & asked

for additional accommodation & some

bedding. Conditions for such very

bad & likely to become worse as

more cases occur daily.

Latrine conditions improving

but still very bad. Ablution

points very bad & seepage from

latrine found to be flowing into tong

at [[?NNV]] therefore placed out of bounds.

Very heavy rain enabled most

men to fill waterbottles etc.

27 May 42 (Wed)

Permission received for daily body

washing in lake in vicinity of camp between

hours of 0800 & 1000 hours.

Visit by Nipponese MO who promised 

to make some accommodation available

outside to house dysentery patients.

20.30 hrs Maj. Chalmers & 5 medical

orderlies moved to new hospital quarters

outside camp together with 15 dysentery 

cases.

Approval received for reorganisation

plan & force reorganised as per 

plan herewith.

Conference Coy Comdrs reorganisation to
take place at 0800 hrs tomorrow.
Chief Nipponese Comd & H.Q. comd
visited the camp at midnight & inspected

the quarters. He showed concern at the

congested conditions & the fact that men

in some cases men had scanty clothing.

This was brought home forcibly by the

C.S.O. who accompanied him. He 

promised to try to get some clothes.

Comd. suggested a patrol through

the barracks during the night.

28 May 42 (Thur)

Reorganisation into 3 Bns "A" "B"

C" [[?]] each of 3 coys of 3 pls 

a Comd. H.Q. consisting of Comd

Lt. Col. GC Ramsay ED, Chief Staff Officer

Capt AW [[?Savige]] Asst S.O. Lieut Oliver

For full organisation see screed

herewith.

At 1030 hrs all Bns, Comd H.Q, &

medical unit paraded for inspection

by Chief Japanese Comd Energin on

padang opposite H.Q. At 1100 hrs

the inspection was made & at the conclusion

of it a speech was made by the Jap. Comd.
Following the C.S.O.'s representations on

the previous night 80 sets of shirts & shorts

were received and distributed to the British

of "C" Bn. 50 tents and a quantity of

blankets & mosquito nets were received.

An issue of 10 cigarettes per man

was also made.

A very small quantity of beef was

issued in lieu of pork. Rations were

still very poor. Estimated by

medical authorities calorific value of

ration approx 1650 calories.

29 May 42 (Fri)

First issue of tea, approx 1 mug per

man.

Sickness still on increase. Medical

staff worried by conditions. All

possible steps being taken to aleviate

overcrowding.

30 May 42 (Sat.)

0200 hrs Nipponse Comd. arrived

with report that men were known to be

missing from the Base area. A complete

check of all personnel was immediately

made & it was discovered that VX60934 Pte
Bell & QX 20799 Pte Davey were both

missing. A search failed to locate them

soon & the Nipponese Comd. ordered that
as a punishment the Bn Coy Pl & [[?]]

Comds would remain awake all night.

At daybreak no sign of [[?]] personnel.

At 1200 hrs Nipponese Comd. advised 
that the men Davey & Bell had been 

recaptured. The C.O. & C.S.O. were ordered
to attend the Japanese guard house
to be present at the examination 
of the men. A plea was entered on 
behalf of the men that they were both
sub-normal. Statements by the men 
are herewith (app). The shortage of
the food issue was also put forward

as a reason for their being outside the

area.
Nipponese Comd. advised that the
matter would be considered & decision
advised tomorrow.
A small additional ration of tinned
milk & meat issued to hospital. No use
can be made of Malayan currency at
present.

31 May 42 (Sun)
0030 hrs Jap Comd. arrived at
H.Q. with Pte Berry B, who had been 
found outside the wire in the town.

He was in possession when found of
[[?]] worth of food & the Nipponese Comdr
accepted his plea that he only went out 
to purchase food. Berry was at the
time a patient of the Camp Hospital.
0830 hrs. Quarters reallotted on revised
Bn basis. Over-crowding is still a 
serious problem. Two tents were erected
to relieve the position. No tent poles

available.
1000 hrs. Church service held on tennis court.
[[?]] with Nipponese permission. Indian 
from town brought approx 70 bread 
loaves to be sold to men. Half was 
taken for hospital & balance was readily sold.
Rate of exchange offered is £1 - 1 Rupee
1 June 42 (Mon)
Officers quarters moved to deserted
club house about 200 yds from main
H.Q. area. The Comd. and staff remained

at present location together with Bn
Comds. New quarters more room but 
otherwise conditions not improved.
1700 hrs - 750 small loaves arrived
for sale at a cost of 1 anna 6 pcs each.
2 Jun 42 (Tues)
0900 hrs report that Gun G. Davis, R.A.
died in hospital from diphtheria.
1000 hrs Fatigue party 400 called for by
Nipponese for work on aerodrome. The 
tasks to lengthen & widen the runway
1030 hrs Funeral postponed owing to 
torrential rain. Japanese provided a 
bunch of flowers.
Rice ration increased by ½ a bag from 2½
to 3 bags daily as extra for working party.
1800 Working party returns having 
spent day in pouring rain. C Bn
(English) in many cases had no
dry clothes & in some cases no
bedding. An appeal to AIF units
for assistance met with a sportsmans
response. Dry clothing being lent
Nipponese complained that men at 
aerodrome had only dry rice & insisted
on stew three times daily. It was pointed
out that with rations so [[?]]
this is impossible.
Maj. Cousins advised to be ready 
to depart tomorrow to TOKIO.
3 Jun 42 (Wed)
1000 hrs Funeral left hospital.  [[?]]
guard attended. Burial took place
in new ground allocated to P.O.W.s 
in necessity of [[?making]] [[?modern]] cemetery.
Nipponese officers attended.
Working party at aerodrome continued
1500 hrs Conference of Comd. (Lt. Col. Ramsay)

and C.S.O (Capt A.W. Savige) with Nipponese.
Food position discussed and P.G. Comd

stated that he knew of position & was
doing all he could. There seems little 
possibility of improvement however
Agreed that we would send a fatigue 

party daily to obtain salt water to
alleviate the salt shortage. Comd. &
C.S.O. told not to complain again.
A request that we be permitted to
purchase a small quantity of 
[[?commodities]] from the town was
granted. Comd. & C.S.O. taken to
town & it was found supplies very
limited.
4 Jun 42 (Thur)
Working party at aerodrome to be
increased from today on to 500 men.
This presented some difficulty due to
the number of men sick. A lot of
men still without footwear.
Further clothing supplies arrived
for distribution

5 June 42 (Fri)
Provision of 500 men for aerodrome
fatigue presents increasing difficulty
owing to increasing numbers of sick,
Native fruit vendors allowed to work
camp & trade. Selling mangosteens
[[?durians]] & cheroots at 1c cot 2 for 1 c
& 1c each respectively. Will sell every
second day.
1400 hrs Comd called conference of
representatives from each platoon to
discuss distribution of food & other
general matters. All representatives
appeared quite satisfied with what
we were doing for them.

2100 Conference Bn Comds. and discussed
best method of reaching required quota 
for fatigues.
6 Jun 42 (Sat)
Again impossible to raise required
quota.

1200 Death of 3851189 Pte Thomas Gillen
cause of death dysentery.
Nipponse Comd. said more water in stew 
would satisfy mens demand

for more food.

Comd. issued one cheroot to each
man.
7 Jun 42 (Sun)
0930 hrs funeral of Pte. Gillen.
1130-1300 All men allowed to exercise on
padang opposite to camp. No games
were played owing to the lack of equipment 
- men not being fit for strenous exercise.
1530 Band played at Nipponese H.Q.
2000 hrs Concet in camp.

8 Jun 42 (Mon)
Red cross provides extra food for hospital
- cornflour, marmite, eggs
1700 Hudson aircraft (Japanese) flew over
H.Q. and landed at aerodrome.
1900 Japanese interpreter visited camp,
very excited & told Comd. & C.S.O. "Soon
Japan, America, Australia all neutral and
Japanese in America & Australia will go to
Japan and you go back to Australia.
I asked when he replied "Soon a boat
will come."

He then said that all men could 
write a letter home & that the mail
would leave next day by the plane.
The interpreter could not give any
information regarding the English 
troops. They were allowed to write
home.
1930 hrs. Three Japanese majors [[?]]
at the H.Q. with the local Comd.
I understood that they had arrived by
plane from [[?Johore.]] Left after a short
look around.
Letters home were written by 
lights out & [[?censoring]] done by Bns.
The news regarding the exchange 
of prisoners was NOT [[?]] [[?]]
to the possibility of prisoners remaining.

9 Jun 42 (Tues)
0900 hrs. Letters collected by Nipponese.
1600 hrs. Report from hospital that
Pte. Owens not expected to recover.
Lieut Staples & some bakers commenced
first attempt at doughnuts.
10 Jun 42 (Wed)
Large increase in sick, working
party fallen to 435. H.Q. Comd.
expressed dissatisfaction with numbers
provided.

1100 hrs. Death of NX355[[?]]8 Pte Charles
Harry Owens. Cause of death dysentery.

1800 Funeral of Pte. Owens.

11 Jube 42 (Thurs)
Constant complaints regarding size
of working parties.
First operation successfully carried 
out by Lt Col. [[?Caxton]] (hernia op).
12 June 42 (Fri)
Very heavy rain. Nipponese order
party as usual for aerodrome. Lt Col
Ramsay to Nip H.Q. & stated does not
desire men to go under such conditions.
Nip. Comd. says instructions not
understood by his guard Y agreed.
Supply tinned milk rec'd 1 tin every
5 men.
13 Jun 42 (Sat)
Milk 1 tin to 6 men issued balance to 
hospital.
Slight improvement in quantity 
of food received.
14 Jun 42 (Sun)
R.C. Church Parade held in H.Q.
area by native priest from village.
Permission given to [[?]] sports
on padang. Rain prevented this.
Combined service parade held 1115.
Concert at night.
15 Jun 42 (Mon)
Increase approx. 100 men in aerodrome

working party.
Complaints from Jap guard that men
had accepted food from Burmese who have
been slapped, kicked, whipped, & put
in prison for giving to the force. Japs
threaten to stop salt water party if
a recurrence.
16 Jun (Tues)
Comd. & C.S.O. to town to 
purchase hospital supplies..
Nipponese advise that rice
ration for aerodrome party to be
increased by at least 30% at the
expense of men remaining in camp.
17 Jun 42 (Wed)
Nipponese state pay available a.m.
Detail not yet known.
Heavy Rail. Aerodrome party
as usual.
18 Jun 42 (Thurs)
Comd & C.S.O. visit new camp
with the H.Q. Comd. Camp nearly
completed & will be ready for occupation
on 20 June 42. Camp considered to be
big improvement on present one.
Japanese advise that a VX60934 Pte
J Bell & QX 20799 Pte A.F. Davey have
been shot following their capture
after their attempted escape on 30 May 42.
150 lbs of soap issued to troops.
C.O. talked to all officers on discipline
19 Jun 42 (Fri) Heavy rain.
Aerodrome party postponed.
NX 36039 Pte. S.J. Ledwidge died at
hospital from dysentery. Admitted 9.6.42.
C.S.O. to xxxx Jap. HQ. & collected
pay for fatigues amounting to $ £f 555.
Funeral Pte. Ledwidge 1830 hrs.
Coffin Y hearse supplied free of all
charge by Mr De Sousa a baker of
[[??]]
Comd's conference with PC reps.

to explain & discuss pay position.
Agreed every officer contribute 5c 
& each O.R. 1c from pay to a deduction
a/c to pay essential internal fatigues 
not pay paid by Japanese.
20 June 42 (Sat)
Local labour used for first time
on aerodrome in addition to our
fatigues.
Aircraftsman B Scott 1061478 
died from dysentery.
Japanese H.Q. Comd stated move
to new camp tomorrow.
Distribution of pay made to 
sub-units. Rate 25c Offs, 15c NCOs
 10c O.R. paid only to men who 
work.
Comd. receives note from Maj
Cousins, written on board ship bound
for Tokyo.
21 Jun 42 (Sun)
1000 hrs move to new camp.
Death of 1121226 Gun. F.J. D'arcy
cause of death dysentery.
Comd (Jap) Southern Burma
visited camp but did not stay.
Funeral of A/C Scon & Gun D'arcy.

Scon being RC the local R.C. Priest 
officiated.
22 Jun (Mon)
Marked increase in number
reporting for aerodrome fatigue 
due to pay.
Jap Comd. inspected camp &
expressed satisfaction.
Comd. & C.S.O. invited to [[?]]
at Jap H.Q. where Comd (Jap) expressed
his satisfaction.
Pte. Thos Blackwell 5778138